In April 1917, The United States became actively involved in World War I. All resources were employed in order to finance the war efforts while making the Americans enthusiastic for the war. In a unique exhibition, dozens of posters from the Letterenhuis collection show how the Americans were urged to be frugal and to work hard on behalf of the war in faraway Europe.

The United States and World War I

The United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, thereby becoming actively involved in World War I. All resources were employed in order to finance the war efforts while whipping up enthusiasm for the war. Popular American illustrators and designers were brought in to make posters. They mainly aimed at an audience that didn’t read newspapers, go to meetings or to the cinema.

Laborers and soldiers
The propaganda builded on of patriotism and a sense of duty. A poster like ‘Be a U.S. Marine’ radiated a no-nonsense mentality that suited the Marines, a corps that can be deployed quickly.
Manpower was also needed to develop a fleet to bring soldiers and supplies for the troops to Europe. In one of the posters a workman, a marine and a soldier march together to a glorious victory. Laborers and soldiers are working as one is the message.

Liberty Bonds and frugality
Liberty Bonds were issued because the war cost billions of dollars. In the eyes of the campaign makers there were only two possibilities: ‘Fight or Buy Bonds!’ Every possible means was employed to convince everyone. Children were depicted in order to capitalise on sentiments and the enemy was portrayed as a monster that murdered, raped and plundered.
In addition to collecting money, the Red Cross focused on recruiting nurses. Women were also asked to help in factories or in agriculture, or to knit socks for soldiers.
As the war progressed, food scarcity increased. Intensive campaigns incited the population to be frugal with revealing slogans like ‘Food is ammunition!’ and ‘Don’t waste food while others starve!’.
Division of Pictoral Publicity
Every American, young and old, had to contribute. The Committee on Public Information pulled out all the stops to convince people of this. Charles Dana Gibson did a lot of work to this end. He was a popular illustrator who worked for LIFE Magazine and was put in charge of the Committee’s Division of Pictoral Publicity.
The exhibition ‘On the Job for Victory’ gives insight into the way that poster artists like James Montgomery Flagg, Joseph Pennell, Herbert Paus, Joseph Christian Leyendecker and Howard Chandler Christy used their talent for the propaganda campaigns

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